Four hours south of Thailand on an Airbus lies the island nation where you can ride the waves, safari and channel your inner Indiana Jones. I had last visited Sri Lanka more than 30 years ago - preceding the 2004 tsunami, the resolution of the civil war in 2008 and the economic upheaval that started in 2019. I wanted to see how the country has changed - or perhaps hasn’t.
Sri Lanka often gets overlooked by its flashier neighbours, but there’s much to like, see and do in this teardrop-shaped country that is full of unexpected encounters.
The Big Bang
It’s surprising how much you can accomplish in a short time on this compact island roughly the size of southern Thailand.
In two weeks, our journey encompassed whale watching in Mirissa, where we didn’t see the blue or sperm whales we sought, but were delighted by numerous pods of playful spinner and Risso dolphins, some twirling in the air. We safaried in two national parks - Udawalawe and Yala - where we witnessed Sri Lanka’s Big Three up close: elephant, leopard, and the sloth bear.
Sudu, our Yala safari driver, counseled us that if we focus too much on the quest to see a particular animal, we miss everything else. Those wise words are a good parable for life. At Yala we lingered to observe elephants splashing in a lake and leopard cubs playing while their mother surveyed the scene.
At a coastal village north of the capital, we spent a morning among Karavas boats while fishermen repaired their nets, as I imagine they’ve done for centuries. We explored UNESCO-recognised archaeological sites including Galle Fort and the ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. My favourite is the 1,700-year-old Jetavanaramaya stupa, which at the time was the world’s third-tallest structure, after the Egyptian pyramids.
Did I forget to mention the cycling? Over nine exhilarating days, we pedaled 600 kilometers across Sri Lanka’s breathtaking hill country. The landscape transformed as we cycled through lush tea plantations and fertile rice fields. Sri Lanka’s hills proved to be a formidable test of endurance, but exploring the island on two wheels is a rewarding way to absorb the island’s natural beauty and vibes. Sri Lanka oozes old charm, the kind of place where early morning print newspaper deliveries are still made by bicycle.
An Unwelcome Incident
Sri Lanka also surprises in how welcoming the country is to visitors. This friendliness is evident in the cities, but it’s most conspicuous in the countryside. As we cycled across the undulating terrain, we were reliably greeted in a chorus of exuberant “Hellos!” as we pedaled past small villages.
The welcoming nature of the Sinhalese has been noticed. Last year Conde Nast Traveler ranked Sri Lanka as one of the world’s friendliest nations. While I was in the country, the search engine Booking.com crowned Sigirya as the world’s most welcoming city.
Ironically, at Sigiriya, or the Lion Rock - a fifth-century palace perched atop a towering 200-meter column of rock - I encountered an unwelcome incident. Our visit coincided with Sri Lanka’s Independence Day. The climb to the top of Lion Rock was a shoulder-to-shoulder affair as we inched up the 1,300 stairs overflowing with humanity.
When I reached the summit, I felt someone snatch a plastic bag from my back pocket. The culprit scurried away. I had been pickpocketed by a monkey, who now had my iPhone!
The thief with a tail perched on a steep cliff, very aware of an audience of hundreds of raptured onlookers. Like a seasoned striptease performer who knows how to prolong a reveal, this mischievous monkey carefully opened the opaque bag and removed my phone. Discarding the plastic over the side of the cliff - an inevitable fate for my phone too, I was certain - the monkey proceeded to inspect my phone.
After concluding there is zero utility in the device (or perhaps realising I don’t have the latest model), he dropped the phone and buggered off. My iPhone rested on the edge of the cliff as Eranga, a driver in our group, instinctively sprang into action and went out on a limb to save the day.
The Monkey Incident encapsulates Sri Lanka: wild, surprising - with the welcoming Sinhalese making an enduring impression.
How We Travelled
We joined Spiceroad’s 12-day Sri Lanka Spice Trails cycle tour, which connects many of the island’s greatest hits in an active itinerary. The journey had its challenges, as we cumulatively climbed over 5 kilometers in elevation gain.
Spiceroads does a good job in cherry picking the best segments to cycle, with van transfers bridging the gaps. The Sri Lankan support team went above and beyond, including a (surprise!) birthday cake for my partner at a most unexpected location.
Our favorite hotels, which we independently organised, were the Kithala Resort Tissa – Yala near Yala National Park, on a serene spot overlooking rice paddies and The Galle Face Hotel in Colombo. The latter is a heritage hotel, one of the oldest east of the Suez. The hotel’s Traveler’s Bar showcases photos of some of the luminaries that have rested in its beds, ranging from Mark Twain to Scarlett Johannsen. We especially enjoyed the King of the Mambo, a Cuban themed restaurant with live Latin music, good food and oversized couches with colorful floral prints.
The whale-watching expedition from Mirissa was organised by Whale Watching Club, who earned my respect by transparently disclosing - in advance of the excursion - the likely possibility that we won’t see any whales.
Our small group safari in Yala National Park was led by Janaka Safaris. Nine years ago, the government relaxed its policy limiting the number of vehicles into the national park, which has resulted in overcrowding at many wildlife sightings. Most Yala safaris are half day outings, which fosters bad behaviours among drivers who dart from sighting to sighting and aggressively jockey for position. For this reason, we opted for a full day safari, allowing us to go deeper into the park and to linger at interesting spots. Sudu, our driver, went out of his way to avoid this safari scrum.
Best-selling author and adventurer Todd Miller has explored more than 115 countries. Author of ENRICH: Create Wealth in Time, Money, and Meaning, his writing has featured in CNBC, Fast Company, and Newsweek. www.toddmiller.asia